Boundaries and Boundary Spanning in Digital Innovation Outsourcing: The Influence of Institutional Logics and Governance Systems

ABSTRACT

Through a case study in the offshore oil and gas sector, we provide evidence from client, vendor, and governance systems actors on how divergent logics between clients and vendors give rise to a logics boundary that reduces the client’s propensity to outsource digital innovation. However, we found that different types of governance systems can institute boundary spanning activities to address the key logics’ dimensions that can attenuate or amplify the logics barrier.

KEYWORDS:

• Boundary spanning
• digital innovation
• innovation outsourcing
• institutional environment
• institutional logics
• IS outsourcing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project received financial and in-kind support from Energy Research & Innovation Newfoundland and Labrador, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency 211711, Mitacs (with industry partner Petroleum Research Newfoundland and Labrador) 212528, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research 213618, Memorial University of Newfoundland 212581, and the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto.

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Jewer

Jennifer Jewer is an assistant professor of information systems at the Faculty of Business Administration, Memorial University. She obtained her doctorate in Management Sciences from the University of Waterloo, and has a Masters of Applied Science in Management Sciences from the University of Waterloo, and a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Education (Post-secondary) from Memorial University. Her research interests include digital innovation, information technology governance, and health informatics. Her work appears in journals such as the Journal of the Association for Information Systems, the European Journal of Information Systems and the International Journal of Medical Informatics.

Búi K. Petersen

Búi K. Petersen is an assistant professor in management at the Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University. He holds a PhD in Management and a Masters in Business Administration from Memorial University. His varied cross-disciplinary research has examined issues related to innovation, the impact of technology on the future of work, the social influences on the behaviors of multinational corporations, management education, as well as conflict, cooperation, and negotiation. His work has appeared in journals such as Business & Society, Technovation, Economic & Industrial Democracy, Island Studies Journal, and IEEE Access.

Raymond G. Gosine

Ray Gosine is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Memorial University and a senior associate with the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. His research is in the areas of intelligent systems, robotics and automation with a particular interest in the application of these technologies to natural resource industries, most recently oil and gas and mining. His interests also extend to the broader impacts of advanced technologies on the public, including issues related to socio-economic effects, public policy, regulation, environmental impact and public health.

Peter J. Warrian

Peter J. Warrian is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. His current research is on knowledge networks, supply chains and engineering labour markets. He is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2020 he was named to the Order of Canada.